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Nevada has an incarceration rate of 610 per 100,000 people (including prisons, jails, immigration detention, and juvenile justice facilities), meaning that it locks up a higher percentage of its people than any independent democratic country on earth. Read on to learn more about who is incarcerated in Nevada and why.

20,000 people from Nevada are behind bars

Additionally, the number of people impacted by county and city jails in Nevada is much larger than the graph above would suggest, because people cycle through local jails relatively quickly. Each year, at least 38,000 different people are booked into local jails in Nevada.

Using 2020 census data, we looked at where people in Nevada prisons come from. We found mass incarceration harms all corners of the state.

Rates of imprisonment have grown dramatically in the last 40 years

Also see these Nevada graphs:

• total numbers rather than rates.
• Women’s prisons: Incarceration Rates | Total Population
• Men’s prisons: Incarceration Rates | Total Population

Today, Nevada’s incarceration rates stand out internationally

In the U.S., incarceration extends beyond prisons and local jails to include other systems of confinement. The U.S. and state incarceration rates in this graph include people held by these other parts of the justice system, so they may be slightly higher than the commonly reported incarceration rates that only include prisons and jails. Details on the data are available in States of Incarceration: The Global Context. We also have a version of this graph focusing on the incarceration of women.

People of color are overrepresented in prisons and jails

Nevada's criminal justice system is more than just its prisons and jails

See detailed data on incarceration and supervision numbers and rates by state.

Reports and briefings about Nevada's criminal legal system:

Filter to show Most recent All Big picture Collateral consequences Communication Exploitation Health Jails & bail Parole and probation Policing Poverty Prison gerrymandering Racial justice Women, gender, & families

• People on probation in Nevada are saddled with onerous rules and conditions they must follow every day or risk incarceration.
• Prisons in Nevada have tablets, but they may be being used to restrict incarcerated people’s access to books and sap them of the little money they have.
• With an incarceration rate of 610 per 100,000 residents, Nevada locks up a higher percentage of its people than any independent democratic country on earth.
• During the 2020 redistricting cycle, Nevada only reallocated about 65% of people in state prison back to their home communities, as part of its efforts to end prison gerrymandering. It should take steps now to do better during the 2030 redistricting process.
• Prisons in Nevada force incarcerated people and their families — some of the most vulnerable members of society — to subsidize mass incarceration.
• 64% of people in Nevada jails have not been convicted of a crime, meaning they're legally innocent. There are simple steps the state can take to reduce this number. Why isn't it?
• Nevada releases roughly 120,396 men and 43,313 women from its prisons and jails each year. What is it doing to support them upon reentry?
• Nevada prisons force incarcerated people to pay "restitution" for medical charges related to self-harm or suicide
• People on parole in Nevada can be sent back to prison for "associating" with anyone who has a felony conviction — even loved ones who are trying to support them
• The parole board in Nevada is releasing 33% fewer people and holding 34% fewer hearings since the pandemic started
• Black people in Nevada are incarcerated at a rate 4.4 times higher than white people.
• Nevada's choice to criminalize "failure to appear" may be hurting public safety
• The cost of incarcerating older people is incredibly high, and their risk of reincarceration is incredibly low, yet 13% of people in Nevada prisons are over the age of 55. Why is the state keeping so many older people locked up?
• Nevada makes it difficult or even risky for incarcerated journalists to tell their stories.
• In Nevada, 20,000 people are incarcerated and another 13,400 are on probation or parole.
• Nevada charges up to 30¢ for an e-message to or from prison; above the national average.
• Jails in Nevada charge up to $3.15 for a 15-minute phone call, reaping profits for companies, while prisons charge $1.65 for a 15-minute call.
• Report: Where people in prison come from: The geography of mass incarceration in Nevada
• Nevada did not suspend its $8 medical copays in prisons — even during a pandemic.
• People in Nevada prisons must pay for hygiene items and other basics even if they can't afford them.
• Nevada prisons charge families up to a 35% fee to transfer money to an incarcerated loved one.
• We gave Nevada a failing grade in September 2021 for its response to the coronavirus in prisons.
• Nevada hurts jury diversity by excluding people with felony records
• How many COVID-19 cases in Nevada communities can be linked to outbreaks in correctional facilities? (data from our report Mass Incarceration, COVID-19, and Community Spread)
• We graded the parole release systems of all 50 states - Nevada gets a D
• In 2019, Nevada passed a law ending prison gerrymandering in the state
• Nevada incarcerates women at a rate of 175 per 100,000 residents — higher than any democratic country on earth.
• People in Nevada prisons earn as little as 25¢ an hour for their work.

Other resources

• Research on Nevada in our Research Library
• More on prison gerrymandering in Nevada